How long does SOC 2 take?
Short answer
SOC 2 Type 1 takes 4-8 weeks from decision to report — typically 6 weeks for a solo-founder startup. Type 2 requires an additional 3-12 months of continuous evidence collection. Most startups start with Type 1 to unlock their first enterprise deal.
Realistic timeline for a first SOC 2 Type 1:
- Week 1-2: Pick compliance platform + auditor, commit to scope (Security trust criterion only).
- Week 2-3: Write/copy 20 policies. Templates from Vanta/Drata cut this to 2-3 days.
- Week 3-5: Configure technical controls — MFA, encryption, vulnerability scanning, secure SDLC.
- Week 5-6: Evidence collection. Compliance platform auto-collects ~80% from GitHub, AWS, Google Workspace.
- Week 6-8: Auditor reviews, conducts interviews, issues Type 1 report.
Type 2 starts the day after Type 1. Your compliance platform runs in the background for 3-12 months collecting continuous evidence; the auditor returns to verify.
Startups that move fast typically hit Type 1 in 5-6 weeks by parallelizing policy writing with technical configuration.
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